Qualcomm: Snapdragon-powered Windows 8 PCs will launch next year

Speaking at an investor meeting recently, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs confirmed that his company is working with Microsoft in an effort to deploy Windows 8-powered computers that run on Qualcomm’s ARM-based Snapdragon processors. “We’re going to see some interesting stuff going on,” Jacobs said. “Windows 8 on ARM is a big opportunity.” It’s not an easy task: Microsoft’s previous operating systems, and the existing applications, are designed to run on x86 processors. Qualcomm is optimistic that Snapdragon PCs will be available by the end of next year however, and that developers will rewrite applications to run properly on ARM processors. “For the apps that you really care about, I don’t see it as a significant growth inhibitor in terms of ARM vs. Windows,” Qualcomm chief operating officer Steve Mollenkopf said according to CNET. “I don’t think the impact is as significant as what others believe.”